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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. I. A. MULLER. FOLDING BED AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLE.

No. 439,973. Patented Nov. 4, 1890.

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Patented NOV. 4, 1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK ADOLPH MULLER, OF BROOKLYN, NEV YORK, ASSIGNOR TO LOUISE HENRIETTA MULLER, OF SAME PLACE.

FOLDING BED AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 439,973, dated November 4, 1890. Application filed February 11, 1890. Serial No. 339,987. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

lBe it known that I, FREDERICK ADOLPH MULLER,- a citizen of the United States, residing in Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Beds and Similar Folding Articles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates particularly to that class of beds termed wardrobe-bedsteads, in which the bed when folded simulates the appearance of a wardrobe or bureau, the bed proper being pivoted near one end in the lower part of the cabinet frame or case and arranged to swing down out of the same into a horizontal position when required for use and to fold up into the case in a vertical position when out of use.

My improvements relate to the balancing devices whereby the weight of the swinging or pivoted bed is counterbalanced and its raising or lowering motions rendered easy for the person operating it.

My improved balancing mechanism is especially applicable to that class of balancing devices which employ a sliding head-board, serving to partly counterbalance the bed, and is of that class of constructions which employ springs connected to the short arm of the bed-frame in addition to auxiliary weights connected thereto for counterbalancing the bed-frame. constructed with a spring disconnected from the folding section during the first part of the unfolding movement and picked up during such movement, whereby its tension was exerted only during part of the unfolding operation. Provisions on the fixed case have been required for holding the spring when not in engagement with the folding section, thus involving complication andexpense. I overcome these disadvantages by constructing the spring to be in constant connection with both the fixed case and the folding section during the entire movements of the latter, and by providing a lost-motion device, which permits movementof the folding section during the first part of the unfoldingoperation without exerting the tension of the Heretofore such beds have been spring, thus avoiding the necessity of picking up and dropping the spring when operating the bed.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein my invention is shown as applied to a folding bed of the wardrobe type, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a folding bed shown in its folded position. Fig. 2 is a vertical section thereof, on a larger scale, cut on the line 2 2 in Fig. 1, and showing the bed in the open or unfolded position in full lines and in the folded position in dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectiongon a still larger scale, showing the bed in the folded position. Figs. 4 and 5 are respectively a plan and elevation of the grooved slideway. Fig. 6 is a detailed view showing the slide. Fig. 7 is afragmentary rearelevation' of the bed. Fig. 8 is a fragmentary vertical section of the folding section, on a larger scale, showing the connection of the mirror thereto. Fig. 9 is a fragmentary front elevation of the mirror and folding section. Fig. 1Ov is a fragmentary inside elevation; and Fig. 11 is a fragmentary horizontal section of the bed, showing the pivotal connection.

Referring to the drawings, let A indicate a fixed case or cabinet, and B the bed or fold ing section which is pivoted thereto.

The case A is of the well-known construction, and consists of the upright sides a and b, which are rigidly secured together by crosspieces 0 c at the back and cross-pieces d e at the bottom, the cross-piece a being at the front side of the case. Casters f f are secured to the cross-pieces d and e, in order that the case may be conveniently moved about on the floor. A molding-board g is constructed across the bottom of the case A on its front side for ornamental purposes. The caseA is entirely open at its front and top sides, with the exception of the molding-board g. Vertical grooves h h are preferably constructed in the upright sides a and b of the case, and the usual sliding back-board O, extending across the case Aand serving as a head-board for the bed when unfolded, is mounted in these grooves and preferably moves vertically therein during the folding operation.

The-folding section B is preferably formed in the usual manner, and consists of a strong bottom 7, of solid wood, the outer face of which is exposed when the bed is folded, the sideboards j j, the foot-board k, and the headboard l. The bottom board *6 is finished to present an ornamental appearance and to represent the front of a wardrobe or other article of furniture, being usually supplied with a beveled plate-mirror J, suitably set therein. The usual mattress or wire web 'm may be secured in the folding section B in any known manner.

The section B is provided at its outer end with suitable ornamental cornicesn, andlegs o 0 are secured to these in such manner that when the section is folded up they will serve as part of the ornamental contourof the cornice, and when the section is unfolded they will rest on the floor and support the outer end of the section.

The section B may be pivotally connected to the case A in any suitable manner. I have shown it connected by a pivotal connection D, so that when the section is unfolded it will rest in a horizontal position, and when folded it will stand vertically within the case A, as shown in Fig. 2. The pivotal connection D consists of a plate a, prefel'ably secured to the case A, constructed with a bearing-recess I), having an inclined wall constituting an extended frictional surface on its inner side, and a suitable journal or bearing pin c,preferably secured to the bed B, adapted to enter and work in said recess 1), and having an extended inclined frictional flange ct, which engages frictionally with the inner wall of the recess 1), the parts being so constructed that the two inclined frictional surfaces are wedged into intimate frictional contact when in position. In folding a bed provided with this pivotal connection the latter generates sufficient friction to prevent any movement of the parts due solely to their momentum. The head-board Z of the section B is preferably constructed so that it stands at a slight inclination from the perpendicular, as best seen in Figs. 2 and 3.

The well-known connecting-leaf or auxiliary head-board E is hinged at its lower edge to the head-boardl of the folding section, and its upper edge abuts against the bottom edge of the sliding, head-board C, supporting the latter, but not attached thereto, and is provided with rollers 19 p, which travel in the grooves 71 h in the case A, and thereby retain the leaf E in position beneath the head-board O. the sliding head-board C and the head-board lof the folding section, and as the folding section is turned on its pivot the leaf E is raised or lowered and acts to correspondingly raise or lower the sliding head-board 0, resting on its upper edge. Thus the leaf E and head-board O serve as counter-weights for parcase A.

The leaf E serves to fill the space between tially balancing the outer end of the section B during the folding operation, as heretofore.

In the operation of folding or unfolding the section B it is desirable to so counterbalance the bed that its motion shall be easy and the force required to move it shall be approximately the same throughout the entire operation. To effect this, I provide improved means whereby the counterbalancing forces applied at the inner end of the section correspondin gly increase as the unfolding operation progresses, in order that they shall equal the weight of the outer end of the folding section as it approaches the horizontal position. This I prefer to accomplish by means of a counterbalancing-spring F, connected at one end to the case A and at its other end to the folding section throughout the entire movement thereof, one of such connections being alost-motion connection, whereby said spring exerts a counterbalancing force against the latter during a part only of the unfolding movement, while the necessity of picking up and dropping the spring while it is inactive is avoided, and I provide suitable counterbalancing-weights G G to counterbalance the folding section during its entire folding movement.

In the construction shown a grooved slideway H is secured to the head-board Z of the folding section B. A slide I works in this grooved slideway H, and is provided with a hook q, to which one end of the spring F is secured. The other end of the springF is secured to an eye on the cross-piece e of the The slideway H is provided with stops 9' s at its respective ends to limit the movement of the slide I therein and constitutes, with the slide I, a lost-motion device. The spring F, slide I, and slideway H are so constructed that when the section B is in the folded position, as shown in Fig. 3, the spring will be fully retracted and the slide I will stand at the farther end of the slideway H and abut against the stop 5 thereof. As the section B is unfolded the slide I will remain stationary relatively to the spring F, and will slide idly through'the groove in the slideway H as the latter moves with the bed-section on the pivots D. When the folding operation has progressed until the slide 1 abuts against the stop 0" of the slideway H, the slide will be caused to move with the section B, and the spring Fwill be stretched by this movement and will exert a counterbalancing force on the section B during the rest of the unfolding operation. hen the section B is folded up, the spring F will exert a counterbalancing force during the first part of the operation of folding up the section B, and during the latter part of this operation it will be inert and will follow the slide I as the latter travels idly along the groove in the slideway H until it abuts against the stop .9 thereof. The spring F is connected to the folding section throughout the entire movement thereof.

The counter-weights G G are carried in framest 15, secured to the back side of the headboard Z, and exert a constant counterbalancing force on the section B. The frames t t are preferably constructed at opposite sides of the slideway H, and consist, preferably, of end brackets 21. to, carrying cleatsv 1), arranged parallel with the head-board Z. The weights G G are inserted between the cleats 'U and the head-board Z, and are prevented from slipping out of position by retaining-cleats w w, secured to the head-board Z and abutting against their upper ends.

It is desirable that the leaf E should be so constructed that when the bed is open it will stand in a vertical plane under the sliding head-board C, and the latter should be movable independently of the leaf. I prefer to accomplish this by constructing the headboard l of the section B so that its upper edge, to which the leaf E is hinged, will be in the same vertical plane .as the sliding headboard C, so that when the bed is open the leaf E will rest directly above this edge of the head-board Z, as seen in Fig. 2. The leaf E is unattached to the head-board C. When the bed is folded up, the leaf E stands in the position shown in Fig. 3. I prefer to construct the head-board Z of the section B so that its lower end is inclined inwardly toward the section B,so that when the latter is in the closed position there will be sufficient room for the slideway H, slide 1, and spring F between the head-board l and the floor, as best seen in Fig. 3.

Let J indicate the usual mirror secured to the outer side of the wall 1 of the section B. This mirror is usually rigidly secured in position or is pivoted near its center to the folding section, so that it can be inclined relatively thereto when the bed is folded up. I provide improved means of attachment whereby it is movable relatively to the section B and can be locked in position when so moved. This I accomplish by the construction shown in the drawings, wherein the mirror J is hinged at its upper end at j to the wall 2' of the section B, so that its lower part can be sprung outwardly therefrom until it is tilted to the desired position. A look K serves to secure the mirror J in position relatively to the wall 2. This lock preferably consists of a slotted link y, pivoted to the wall '6 at one end and engaging a thumb-screw w on the mirror J, which takes through the slot in its other end. When the thumb-screwwis loose, the mirror J can be moved and the thumbscrew will travel through the groove in the link y. When the thumb-screw is tightened, it will bind the link against the side of the mirror J, and will thereby hold the latter rigidly in position relatively to the wall 2 It will be understood that my invention can be variously modified without departing from the essential features thereof, the construction shown and described being the preferred form of my invention.

What I claim is, in a folding-bed and similar folding article, the following-defined novel features and combinations, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, namely: 7

l. The combination, with a fixed case and a folding section pivotally connected thereto, one of said parts being constructed with a slideway, of a slide constructed to engage and move in said slideway, and a spring secured 'at one end to one of said parts and connected at its other end to said slide, and a stop for limiting the movement of said slide in said slideway, whereby during part of the movement of the folding section said slide will move in said slideway and the spring will not act and during the remainder of said movement said slide will be stationary relatively to said slideway and the spring will exert a counterbalancing force against the folding section.

2. The combination, with a fixed case and a folding section pivotally connected thereto, and movable relatively thereto, and constructed with a groove near its pivoted end, of a slide constructed to engage and move in said groove, and a spring secured at one end to said fixed case and connected at its other end to said slide, and means for limiting the movement of said slide in said groove, whereby during part of the movementof the folding section said slide will move in said groove and the spring will not act and during the remainder of said movement said. slide will move with the folding section and the spring will exert a counterbalancing force against the latter.

3. The combination, with a fixed case and a folding section pivotally connected to the same and movable relatively thereto, of a grooved slideway H, connected to the headboard of the latter and constructed with stops 7' and 3 near its respective ends, a slide I, constructed to move on said slideway between said, stops and having a hook g on its outer side, and a counterbalancing-spring F, secured at one end to said fixed case and en gaging at its other end with the hook q of said slide and constructed to exert a counterbalancing force against said folding section during a part only of the movement of the latter, all as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

4. The combination, with a fixed case and a folding section pivoted to the same and movable relatively thereto, of a grooved slide- Way constructed on the latter, a slide con structed to move on said slideway, a counterbalancing-spring connected at one end to said fixed case and at its other end to said slide, said slideway, slide, and spring so constructed that the latter will exert a counterbalancing force against said folding section during the latter part only of the unfolding movement, frames t t, constructed on the folding section, and counterbalancing-Weights G G, carried by said frames and constructed to counterbalance the folding section during the entire unfolding movement, whereby during the first part of the unfolding movement the folding section is counterbalanced by said weights :0 and during the latter part of the unfolding movement the folding section is counterbalanced by said Weights and said spring.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR O FRASER, J NO. E. GAVIN. 

